Drafting table



Sept. 14, 1954 J, JOY 2,688,818

DRAFTING TABLE Original Filed Feb. 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTOR=\JQSEPH F JOY Sept. 14, 1954 J. F. JOY 2,688,818

M 1% W M H W j}; j M H V I I 29 INVENTORI JOSEPH F JOY ATTORNEY PatentedSept. 14, 1954 DRAFTING TABLE Joseph F. Joy, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignorto Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania ()riginal application February 17, 1948, Serial No.

1951, Serial No. 223,950

4 Claims. 45l31) This invention relates to drafting tables and moreparticularly to a drafting table having improved storage means for thedrawing paper and improved paper tensioning means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved draftingtable having novel features of construction. Another object is toprovide improved storage means for the drawing paper within the sides ofthe table top and including rolls of paper whereby the papenmay passover the table top and be transferred readily from one roll to the otheras it is used. Yet another object is to provide improved tensioningmeans for the drawing paper so that the paper as it passes over thetable top is maintained relatively flat and smooth. These and otherobjects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter morefully appear in the course of the following description.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No.8,953, filed February 17, 1948, now Patent No. 2,652,657.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustrationone form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a drafting table in which a preferredillustrative embodiment of the invention is incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,with parts shown in full to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, with parts shown in full, takensubstantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane ofFig. 2, showing details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through one ofthe paper rolls, showing details of the roll look.

In this illustrative embodiment of the inventlon, as shown in thedrawings, the improved drafting table is generally designated I andcomprises a rectangular top 2 adjustably mounted at 3 on a pedestal 4supported by a tripod base 5. The table top comprises a rectangularframe 6 shaped to receive and support a top plate I which provides aplane drawing surface. The rectangular frame 6 is supported by a bottomframe 8 which has its base adjustably mounted on the pedestal.

In this improved drafting table construction, the rectangular frame 6 ofthe table top 2 has closed storage compartments I0 and II extendlocks.

Divided and this application May '1,

ing longitudinally at its sides, as shown in Fig. 2, and received inthese compartments are rolls I2 on which drawing paper I3 is wound, andthese rolls are suitably journaled at their ends within the end walls ofthe compartments. The portion of the drawing paper intermediate theserolls passes over the plane upper surface of the top plate I of thetable and the rolls have suitable hand cranks I4, conveniently locatedat the forward side of the table, whereby the rolls may be rotated toeiTect transfer of the paper from one roll onto the other as the paperpassing over the working surface of the table top is used up. Thecompartments Ill and II have covers I5 hinged at I6 and which may beswung open to obtain access to the rolls I2 to permit removal of theused rolls and insertion of new rolls oi paper. The tops of these coversare recessed at ll to provide trays for receiving drafting tools and arealso provided with suitable hinged covers I8. Guide flanges I 9 havingdownwardly bent portions serve to guide the paper as it passes from oneroll or extends toward the other roll, and the covers I5 have curve-dedges at 20 which, when the covers I5 are closed, serve to further guidethe drawing paper and provide sufficient frictional contact with thepaper to maintain the latter under slight tension so that its portionpassing over the plane working surface of the table top is held flat andsmooth. The adjacent top edges ZI of the rectangular frame 6, at theinner sides of the compartments, are also rounded at 22 to permitmovement of the drawing paper smoothly thereover.

To prevent tampering of the drawings and the drawing tools byunauthorized persons, the paper rolls and compartment covers areprovided with The covers it of the roll-compartments III and II and thetray covers I8 are provided with locks 25, as shown most clearly in Fig.4. Each cover It of the tool-trays has a bracket 26 having a slot forreceiving a lock bolt 21 contained in a lock case 28 secured to themiddle portion of the adjacent side of the rectangular frame Ii and inwhich a key 29 is insertible. Thus, the compartment covers I5 and thecovers It) may be firmly locked in closed position, and the locks may bereadily released by the key which is in the custody of the draftsman incharge of the drawing table. The covers I8 for the trays may be providedwith separate locks, if desired.

The paper rolls I2 contained in the compartments ID and II are also eachprovided with a lock 30 which is shown most clearly in Fig. 5. In thisconstruction, the paper roll has a shaft 3i surrounded by a tubular body32 on which the paper is wound. Secured to the end wall of thecompartment, within the latter, is a lock case 33. The shaft has a keyreceiving slot 34 in which a key 35 is insertible. The hand crank I4 hascarried by its hub 36 a series of tumblers 31, which project into theshaft-slot 34 to lock the paper roll against rotation. When the key isturned, these tumblers are ejected from the shaft-slot 34 to release thepaper roll. Thus, the drawing paper may be wound up on the rolls, asdesired, and the paper rolls may be firmly locked in position, and thepaper rolls may be unlocked only by the person in authority who retainscustody of the key. If desired, the same key may be used to lock boththe compartment and the covers and the paper rolls. Evidently, variousother types of locking means for the rolls and covers may be employed.

As a result of this invention, an improved drafting table is providedhaving novel features of construction. The novel arrangement of thepaper storage rolls within compartments at the sides of the tableenables the drawing paper to be passed over the plane top of the tableWorking surface between the rolls and be readily transferred from oneroll to the other as the paper is used. The curved guiding surfaces onthe table top and compartment covers provide suitable guides for thedrawing paper and serve to maintain the latter under proper tension. Theprovision of the locks for the paper rolls and compartment and thecovers prevents tampering by unauthorized persons. The manners of useand other advantages of the invention will'be clearly apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form whichthe invention may assume in practice, it will. be understood that thisform of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that theinvention may be modified and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drafting table, the combination comprising a table top having atop plate providing a plane working surface, closed storage compartmentsextending longitudinally along opposite sides of said table top, rollsof drawing paper arranged in said compartments and having the portion ofthe paper extending between said rolls passing over the plane workingsurface of said top plate, guiding and tensioning means for the paper asit passes from one roll and extends towards the other roll includingguiding surfaces at the sides of said table top and releasabletensioning elements in adjacency to each roll and respeetivelcooperating with said guiding surfaces in the guiding and tensioning ofthe paper, said elements being releasable to permit removal of saidrolls from said compartments, and means for rotating said rolls totransfer paper from one roll to the other with the intermediate portionof said paper between said rolls moving between said cooperating guidingsurfaces and over the working surface of said top plate during suchtransfer, said cooperating guiding surfaces frictionally engaging thepaper as the latter moves therebetween.

2. In a drafting table, the combination comprising a table top having aplane working surface and upright guiding surfaces at its sides, closedstorage compartments extending along opposite side edges of said tabletop, rolls for drawing paper arranged in said compartments and on whichdrawing paper is wound, the portion of the paper between said rollspassing over said upright guiding surfaces and transversely over theplane working surface of said table top, and covers for saidcompartments and openable to permit removal or insertion of paper rolls,said covers when closed having means cooperating with said uprightguiding surfaces respectively for frictionally engaging the paper as itpasses from one r011 and extends toward the other roll to maintain theportion of the paper passing over the working surface under propertension, said covers when in opened position disposed out of frictionalcontact with the paper and permitting removal of said rolls from saidcompartments.

3. In a drafting table, the combination comprising a table top having aplane working surface, said table top providing guiding surfaces at thesides of said plane working surface, closed storage compartmentsextending along opposite side edges of said table top, rolls for drawingpaper arranged in said compartments and on which drawing paper is wound,the portion of the paper between said rolls passing over the planeworking surface of said table top, and covers for said compartments andopenable to permit removal or insertion of paper rolls, said covers whenclosed having guiding surfaces cooperating with said guiding surfacesfor guiding the paper as it passes from one roll and extends toward theother roll, said covers movable into open position with their guidingsurfaces spaced apart laterally from said first mentioned guidingsurfaces out of guiding contact with the paper and when in openedposition permitting removal of said rolls from said compartments.

4. In a drafting table, the combination comprising a table top having aplane working surface, said table top providing upright guiding surfacesat the sides of said plane working surface, closed storage compartmentsextending along opposite side edges of said table top, rolls for drawingpaper arranged in said compartments and on which drawing paper is wound,the portion of the paper between said rolls passing over the planeworking surface of said table top, covers for said compartments andopenable to permit removal or insertion of paper rolls, said covers whenclosed having guiding surfaces 00- operating with said guiding surfacesfor guiding the paper as it passes from one roll and extends towards theother roll, and associated paperguiding surfaces at the inner side wallsof said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

